Here & Now

NEPR NEWS NETWORK: Weekdays, 12 noon – 2 p.m.

Hosted by
Robin Young

Here & Now brings you the news that breaks after Morning Edition, and before All Things Considered. Produced at WBUR in Boston, and hosted by Robin Young and Jeremy Hobson, Here & Now combines the best in news journalism with intelligent, broad-ranging conversations on public policy and foreign affairs, science and technology, as well as features on arts and culture.

Ways to Connect

Recyclers in the United States are feeling the impact of China’s new strict standards for the recycling it imports from around the world. China wants to eliminate the contamination that comes with the plastic, paper and some metals, but because these new standards are very hard to meet, it is essentially a ban on foreign recyclables.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks with Joe Fusco, vice president at Casella Waste Systems, about what these changes mean for his company and the U.S. recycling industry.

The New England Patriots are hoping to claim their sixth championship in 16 years on Sunday, when the team takes the field in Minneapolis against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

Perhaps no one has been more mesmerized by the team’s success than its youngest fans. But as NPR’s Tovia Smith (@toviasmithnpr) reports, too much winning may actually be sending the wrong message to some kids.

President Trump gave his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night, but the week in politics was dominated by discussion surrounding the release of a Republican memo from the House Intelligence Committee alleging FBI surveillance abuse in the Russia investigation.

A memo drafted by House Republicans accuses the FBI of illegally wiretapping a Trump aide. The White House is expected to approve the memo’s release Thursday, over the objections of the FBI and Democrats, who say it isn’t accurate.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Trump talked about gang violence and introduced the parents of two teenage girls killed by MS-13 gang members.

Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson speaks with MS-13 specialist David Pyrooz (@dpyrooz), a criminologist and assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Boulder, about the gang and the extent of its activity in the U.S.

Interview Highlights

The Cleveland Indians and Major League Baseball have announced that the team will no longer use its Chief Wahoo logo on uniforms or in the team’s stadium starting with the beginning of the 2019 season.

As Matt Richmond from WCPN ideastream in Cleveland reports, the character has long been a central part of the team’s identity — and the subject of protests.

What happens when you’re a Latino teenager assigned to write about one of your heroes, and you decide to choose someone from your own heritage? Not much, according to actor and comedian John Leguizamo, because history books and public school curricula don’t do enough to highlight Latino contributions to U.S. history.